January 4, 2017 – microFIT version 4.1 applications now being accepted

The IESO is now accepting applications under version 4.1 of the microFIT Program.

Final microFIT version 4.1 rules, contract and supporting documents, are available in the program documents section of the website. All applications submitted under version 4.1 of the microFIT Program will be required to use the most recent version of the necessary prescribed forms, dated January 2017, when completing an application.

As outlined in the April 5, 2016, Ministerial Directive, the IESO will cease accepting applications under the microFIT program by December 31, 2017. The microFIT Procurement Target for 2017 will be 50 MW.

The January 1, 2017, price schedule is now in effect. Applicants to the microFIT Program are reminded that their contract price will be based on the price schedule in effect at the time their Application Approval Notice is issued.

SaskPower says between 10,000-12,000 homes in Saskatchewan will be run on solar power by 2021, from a project aiming to deliver 60 megawatts. Some of that electricity should be reaching the grid by 2018.

The government’s target is to have 50 per cent of its power delivered by renewable sources by 2030.​

“So if we think about it, 2000 megawatts would be about fifty per cent of our mix today,” said Guy Bruce, SaskPower’s Vice President of Planning, Environment and Sustainable development. “So it’s a relatively small percentage, but it’s a move in the right direction.”

Since the 1970s, installed solar photovoltaic capacity has grown tremendously to 230 gigawatt worldwide in 2015, with a growth rate between 1975 and 2015 of 45%. This rapid growth has led to concerns regarding the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of photovoltaics production. We present a review of 40 years of photovoltaics development, analysing the development of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions associated with photovoltaics production. Here we show strong downward trends of environmental impact of photovoltaics production, following the experience curve law. For every doubling of installed photovoltaic capacity, energy use decreases by 13 and 12% and greenhouse gas footprints by 17 and 24%, for poly- and monocrystalline based photovoltaic systems, respectively. As a result, we show a break-even between the cumulative disadvantages and benefits of photovoltaics, for both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, occurs between 1997 and 2018, depending on photovoltaic performance and model uncertainties.

In many sunny parts of the world, solar energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels, even without subsidies.

The installed price of solar energy has declined significantly in recent years as policy and market forces have driven more and more solar installations.

Now, the latest data show that the continued decrease in solar prices is unlikely to slow down anytime soon, with total installed prices dropping by 5 percent for rooftop residential systems, and 12 percent for larger utility-scale solar farms. With solar already achieving record-low prices, the cost decline observed in 2015 indicates that the coming years will likely see utility-scale solar become cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity generation.

December 12, 2016 – Holiday Maintenance, New Price Schedule and Version Change

microFIT Maintenance
After December 17, 2016, applications will no longer be set to Pending LDC Offer to Connect in 2016. This is to allow LDCs enough time to report connection request information prior to the Holiday Maintenance period.

From 12:00 p.m. December 23, 2016, to January 4, 2017, all functions of the My microFIT Home Page will be unavailable. The My microFIT Home Page will be returned to full service on January 4, 2017.

Price Schedule Change
All active microFIT applications that have not been set to Pending Connection status and have not been issued an Application Approval Notice prior to January 1, 2017, will be subject to the 2017 FIT/microFIT Price Schedule. The IESO will not make exceptions after the 2017 Price Schedule comes into effect.

In order for the IESO to issue Application Approval Notices prior to January 1, 2017, LDCs must report all Offers to Connect to the IESO no later than 12:00 p.m. on December 23, 2016. If you have received an Offer to Connect from your LDC, and the status of your application has not yet been changed to “Pending Connection,” please contact your LDC directly. You can verify the status of your application by logging into your My microFIT Home Page.

microFIT Version Change
On January 1, 2017, Version 4.1 of the microFIT Program comes into effect. The only change being made is the implementation of the 2017 FIT/microFIT Price Schedule; no other changes are being made to the microFIT Program at this time. All active applications that have not been set to Pending Connection status prior to January 1, 2017, will automatically be considered under version 4.1.

Saskatchewam Net Metering Program and 25% Rebate on Start Up Solar Projects

Net metering allows individuals who use their own renewable energy sources to offset their consumption from SaskPower. Net metering is one program in a suite of sustainable and renewable energy initiatives that is designed to ensure that the province is supplied with safe, reliable and sustainable electricity now, and into the future.

The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC), with funding from Saskatchewan’s Green Strategy, has up to $300,000 per year, for four years, to support net metering installations within the province. SRC will pay a one-time fee of 25% of eligible start-up costs up to a maximum of $100,000 (i.e., maximum $25,000). Projects with generating capacities of 100kW or less, including solar photovoltaic projects, that comply with the local utility’s net metering policies and enter into net metering contracts with their local electric utilities are eligible for funding under this program.

In December 2005 The PEI Renewable Energy Act and associated Regulations came into effect. This Act requires utilities to acquire at least 15 percent of the electrical energy that they sell from renewable sources beginning in 2010 and each year thereafter.

Also, Maritime Electric completed construction of an 85 km transmission line in 2009 to connect the 99MW West Cape Wind Farm to the grid. Most of the output from this wind farm is sold off-Island.

Maritime Electric supports the development of Prince Edward Island’s wind resource and its integration into the overall energy supply in a timely and consistent manner. Wind powered energy continues to play a valuable role in the long-term energy supply planning process and will contribute to the reduction in fossil fuel generation.

Net Metering

A Government policy objective incorporated in the Renewable Energy Act was the introduction of net metering for small capacity renewable energy generators up to 100 kW in size. Since the late 1970’s Maritime Electric had allowed the connection of small generators powered by renewable energy sources to its system.

The major change under net metering is that now the customer is credited at the retail price for energy supplied to the utility that is surplus to his load at the time, up to a maximum of what the customer can use during the following 12 months during times when his load is greater than his generation. Previously Maritime Electric had paid the customer the wholesale price for surplus generation supplied to the grid. Government’s intent in introducing net metering is to assist customers who want to supply a portion, or all, of their annual electricity load from their own small capacity renewable energy generator.